Heel pain...anyone advice?

hartsell72

In the pasr 2 mnths i have started walking (not power walking (YET) but still a brisk pace) I do 2-3 miles a day, about 5 days a week. Since around the 2nd week, i noticed some pain in my left heel of my foot. Its mainly on lifting off or after resting once i've done the walk...I shrugged it off, but now its daily. I have googled it, of course and it seems its called Plantar Faciitis and is a common injury with walkers, runners etc...short of cortisone shots there doesnt seem to be much to be done about it. I was wondering if others have had this problem and have any suggestions. I am getting some good results the past month and losing steady. I DO NOT want to stop! So anyone have anything to add? Thanks!

BrittanyFordham

I just started running a few weeks ago and have recently been experiencing the same problem! From what I've researched myself you are right, there isn't much that can be done, but I've been warming up more and taking precautions that way, mine is also in my left foot. I also wore an ankle stabilizer today when I ran, it sounds silly but it forced me to keep my steps in line and walk correctly and that seemed to help me. Good luck!

mischief1on1

I have this issue also. What helps me is rolling a tennis ball under my feet.

It's worse for me in the morning. Especially if I don't stretch or roll the ball under my feet before I go to bed.

jfan175

It sounds like plantar fascitis, an inflammation of the tendon that runs along the bottom of your foot from the base of the toes to the heel. There are a lot of stretches you can do for it, and the tennis ball as mentioned. The pain usually manifests in the heel area. It can get bad, so jump on treating it ASAP. There's a ton of info to google up.

SoozeE512

I've had plantar fasciitis for years and have gone through countless numbers of different sneaker brands and insole brands. Nothing helped until I was recommended to try Merrell shoes. They have been the biggest blessing for me. My feet used to hurt after a few minutes of walking in other shoes, but I can go for hours in Merrell's with no issue.

Samerah12

There are exercises you can do (google around) but to actually treat it? Yeah.. not much.. When I have issues I wear different shoes. Helps to change where I'm putting the most weight. Other than that, just gotta rest and it goes away.

emrys1976

I've had that as well - 3 years of it!! stretches, the tennis ball trick, and weight loss all helped. I'm not sure why it eventually went away, but it's been suggested that my improved diet led to a drastic decrease in general inflammation. Idk much about inflammation and diet so I don't know if that's the case but perhaps that's something to look into as well.

calalily77

I was having this same problem. It first started after standing for a long time, then only after a short time..then it began hurting even when i was sitting. it was not fun. My step mom told me her son had a similar issue with a bruised bone there. So I thought Id try some things. i went to costco and stood on the Dr. Schools insole machine. It told me which insoles I needed to support and cushion the parts of my feet that needed it. Its been a month and they have been so much better.. If I wear flat shoes for a day or 2 it doesnt bother me. Before I couldnt get away with it at all. It hurt way to badly. I hope you figure it out and something helps.

sparkie51

I had that a few years back and I followed the podiatrist's advice. I did stretches-Hands on wall and flex foot up and down. I also bought Dr.Scholl orthodics because prescription ones that he wanted me to get were too expensive.I wore frumpy shoes for about 2 months and it went away.Check internet for other exercises because I forget the others. Good luck.

zmzmzm19

Had the same thing when I started to really work out....it was plantar fascitis...and what helped me was stretching ALOT!! I stretched up to 3 x a day and before I knew it, it was a thing of the past....it hasn't been back since.

_VoV

Sounds like plantar fasciitis. Around this time last year, I developed this problem in both feet. The pain was horrible in the morning, upon getting up. My doctor told me he could give me a list of useless exercises which would make me feel like I was *doing* something. Or, he could encourage me to wait it out without the exercises for the same results. It took a good six months to be back to normal, but my heels are totally heeled now. I bought a couple of pairs of shoes by Orthaheel which gave me some comfort.

MajestyGisMe

As most people said, good foot support, especially of the arch in your foot is essential. Also try some gel inserts for additional cushion while you walk. If it persists you should go to a podiatrist. I had the same problem in both heels, however one became more severe than the other until I finally gave in to check it out. I had heel spurs in both feet. The one was severely hurting because of inceasing inflammation. Ibuprofen is an "NSAID"- non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug that is over the counter...like advil. IT helps if you take it every 4-6 hours as prescribed for a couple of days along with resting, stretching, and inserts. I only ended up needing cortisone shots and later surgery in my right foot (the spur chipped which is why the inflammation wasn't responding to therapy). However my left foot improved with the above. Hope this helped.

hartsell72

Thanks everyone! It seems to be pretty common. As of now it does not hurt constantly, but it does daily. And it does not hurt in the mornings (yet?) I was already planning on getting some better walking shoes and some inserts. I will try the exercises and tennis balls, ice bottle etc. What ii think is weird is once i start my walk, it gets better! it usually hurts the most about an hour after my walk, after resting for a bit. I have high arches, and it seems thats common with this problem. It actually hurts the least in flip flops! lol Thanks for all the replies

ChihGirl

You are probably right about it being Plantar Fasciitis. I have not been officially diagnosed with that but I'm pretty sure I have it from the research I've done!

Several times it's almost crippled me (after a 4-day trip to Chicago with lots of walking I had to crawl around the house for a couple weeks)!! So be careful. It's not something you can push through. (Which is what I used to do; thinking my feet and my calves were just out of shape and the pain meant they were getting toned). You need to baby your feet. But it can get better with good support!

Orthaheel sandals are a life saver for me! I'm 21 so the idea of wearing orthotic shoes was not at all appealing to me, due to the idea of them I had in my head. But Orthaheel has some pretty stylish sandals! And all kinds: sporty, casual, and more dressy. They are pricey but they are SO worth it for the health of your feet!

Last summer I went to China for a month and walked a TON!! My feet did hurt quite a bit but I was still able to walk by the end of it! At the rate of walking we did, I would not have been able to walk at all after probably 2-4 days in normal shoes! Yet I survived a month.

So my advice: check out orthaheel! The health of your feet is very important (and helps with my back problems too!!) And if you do, realize that at first it will hurt/be uncomfortable. But once you get past that point, your feet will love you for it.